“The army… seeks to acquire strength from its co-operation with countries that value security and peace to roll back all forms of aggression on Egyptian soil,” he said at the opening ceremony.

He later held talks with his French counterpart and the Egyptian president, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.

President Sisi “underlined the deep strategic relations between Egypt and France and valued ongoing cooperation across various fields, especially military cooperation,” said the statement.

During their meeting, Parly “affirmed the importance that France attaches to enhancing and strengthening partnership with Egypt at various levels, including the military and security levels,” it added.

Military co-operation between Egypt and France has significantly increased since Sisi took office in 2014.

The following year Egypt signed deals worth $6.8 billion to purchase 24 Rafale fighter jets from France, as well as other military hardware such as Mistral warships and missiles.

International human rights organisations have long accused Egypt of using weapons made in Europe against civilians to suppress opposition and activists, accusations Cairo has systemically denied.